Waste reclamation apparatus



De@ 1, 1931.v

E. S. PEARCE WASTE RECLAMATION APPARATUS Filed March 13, 1929 ATTORNEYS' Dec. 1, 1931. E. s. PEARcE .WASTE RECLAMATION APPARATUS Filed March 13. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTOR y,539 //v Ez/mf- ATTORNEY.

Dec. l, 1931. E. s. PEARcE 1,834,174

WASTE RECLAMATION APPARATUS Filed March 13, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTEDRl bw/4f JJ Req/Pcf ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN SQPEARCE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO RAILWAY SERVICE AND SUPPLY CORPORATION, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA WASTE RECLAMATION APPARATUS Application led March 13, 1929. Serial No. 346,708.

This invention relates to apparatus for use vin journal boX packing reclamation and particularly to washing and cleaning apparatus for subjecting the packing to successive treatments of oil and heated air to wash out,

on the one hand, and to dry out on the other hand, any moisture present inthe packing and maintain the washing oil in its maxil mum fluid condition.

In the present invention the inbound dirty packing is loaded upon a conveyor in the form of a mat and carried through a series of cleaner units arranged successively in a line about the conveyor. Upon reaching the interior of the first unit the packing is picked up from the conveyor by any suitable elevating means, such as an endless conveyor, travelling in a vertical plane raising the packing to the top of a tower it being subjected in 2U its elevation therein to the action of a stream or body of oil pumped 0r otherwise forced to spraying position from a suitable sump at the bottom of this unit No. 1. The top of the tower of this unit is connected to a source of heated air supply which is directed downward against the packing as it rises on one leg of the elevating conveyor. In other words. the packing isled into the unit or tower by the horizontal conveyor or apron, is picked off of this conveyor by picker arms carried by the vertical elevator and is caused to travel upward through a high speed stream or body of washing oil and also a stream of heated air. After passing over the top of the elevator in unit No. 1 the packing returns to the conveyor where it is transmitv ted to unit No. 2 where a similar operation takes place. After treatment in unit No. 2 the packing travels on and is subjected to further treatments in additional units until it is thoroughly cleansed, dehydrated and ready for delivery at the end of the plant in clean oil saturated condition ready for use at this stage. if desirable, or ready for further treatment if necessary or desirable. y

The invention is set forth in the following description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the plant; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The base of the apparatus is indicated at 1 and is provided below it underneath the first unit with a dirty oil sump 2 communicatingwith the firstl unit, in a manner to be described. Above this base are the several units, the first unit of which comprises a casing 3 in the form of a rectangular tower funnelshaped, as at 4 at the top, to connect with a heated air supply 5. The casing 3 at its side, the left hand side as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with suitable openings 6 and 7 for the passage of the conveyor therethrough.

These openings are duplicated in the party wall 8 at the opposite side. At the back the casing 3 is provided with a strainer and hopper extension 9 of less height than the casing 3 an-d communicating as at 10 with the casing 3. A suitable deflector plate 11 extends from the front of the casing 3 through this opening 10 and above and on to a stationary screen 12 arranged in the extension 9 above a hopper bottom 13 provided with an opening 14 communicating with the sump 2. Mounted in any convenient place, as for example,on the sump 2 is an oil pump 15 having an inlet 16 leading to a point near the bottom of the sump 2 and a discharge 17 extending to the top of the casing 3 and there connected with a spray Ypipe 16. This spray pipe is provided with openings for directing an oil spray upon the packing as it is picked up and elevated by the elevating conveyor, as will appear.

The lcasing 3 is also provided with a lower elevator shaft 18 and an upper elevator shaft 19. these two shafts being provided with suitable sprockets 2O carrying conveyor chains 21 provided with slats 22 carrying outwardly extending hooks or pickers 23 curved upwardly toward the direction of communicating with an air inlet pipe 30.l

.conveyor similar travels down and finds a place of rest upon.

the screen 12 or passes therethrough into the sump 2 therebelow. When the oil in this sump becomes unduly contaminated, it may be removed and treated in any suitable manner to renovate it and return it for use in later stages of the process of packing cleaning, etc.

Adjacent unit No. 1 is unit N o. 2 which comprises a casing including the party wall 8 and another party wall 28. Like the first casing it is provided with a cupola top- 29 The party wall 28 is also provided with openings 6 and 7 for the horizontal conveyor. This casing is likewiseeprovided with a rear extension similar to the rear extension 9 ex` cept in the place of the hopper bottom 13 it is provided with a shallower hopper bottom 31 converging downwardly towards a discharge pipe 32 provided with 'a valve 33 and leading to the sump 2. At the proper time the operator opens the valve 33 and allows the oil and any sludge or undesirable material collected above the bottom to pass into the sump 2. This rearward extension is, of course, separate from the extension 9 as well as being separated'from the succeeding rearward extensions, the idea being that in each unit the packing is subjected to oil pumped from its own sump except in the last unit in which the oil is supplied from a source separate from its sump.

This unit No. 2 is also provided with a suitable oil pump and spray similar in all respects to the one used in unit No. 1 and requiring no specific description except to say that its inlet 34 projects upwardly for a short distance above the bottom of the hopper bottom 31 so as to receive oil from a point above any sludge or undesirable material in the sump of this unit. This unit No. 2 is likewise equipped with an elevating in all respects to that used in unit No. 1.

Unit No. 3 is similar to the preceding units utilizin-g a party wall 35 between it and the next succeeding unit and having in its extension a bottom plate 36 inclined downwardly fromright to left and therefore forming a sump at the left. Extending into this sump is a long leg 37 of a Siphon which extends from the sump in unit No. 3 over into the sump in unit No. 2 and terminatesl in a shorter leg 38, the idea being that at the proper at the front and rear time this siphon will be started and will convey some of the oil from this unit over into unit No. 2. This unit is also provided with an oil pump arrangement similar to those used in connection withl the other units and requiring no detail description. It is further provided with a packing elevator similar to that used in the other units. Here, too, the casing is provided with openings 6 and 7 in the party wall 35.

These units may be increased or decreased number as is necessary to properly renovate the packing, but in the drawings only one additional unit is formed and its casing is like the casing of unit No. 1 and utilizes a party wall 35. The inclined bottom 39 is arranged in its rear extension corresponding to 9 and some dirty oil is discharged from the sump thus formed in this unit into unit N o. 3 by a siphon indicated at 40 and similar in all respects to the siphon used in units 2 and 3. Like the other units, unit No. 4 is provided with an elevator identical with the elevators used in the "other units. It also utilizes an oil spray but does not use a pump, the spray being supplied with oill by a pipe 41 leading frl'om any suitable renovated or new oil supp y- Extending out at the left hand end of the battery of renovating units are suitable front and rear brackets generally indicated at 42 and supporting the shaft 43 upon which is mounted a conveyor drum 44 for supporting an endless reticulated conveyor 45. Upper and lower stretches of this conveyor travel through the openings 6 and 7 in the several sides of the units and above and below the deilectors 11 in these units.- At the right hand end of the battery, this conveyor passes around a supporting drum 46 arranged upon a shaft 47 supported'in bearing brackets 48 of the machine. Sha-ft 47 is provided with a pulley 49 driven by a belt 50 in turn driven by a pulley 51 upon the shaft of a motor 52.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the packing is spread upon the conveyor in advance of the first renovating unit and that it travels in through the opening 6 into unit No. 1 Where it is picked up by the elevator in this unit and subjected to a stream of washing oil pumped from the sump of this unit No. 1. At the sametime, the packing is also subjected to a current of heated air which tends to relieve the packing of any moisture and at the same time to maintain the washing oil fluid to increase its washing characteristic.

After being elevated in unit No. 1 the packing returns to the horizontal conveyor and passes to unit No. 2 Where it is again subjected to a stream of oil and heated air, the oil in lthis stage being maintained cleaner than in unit No. 1 and therefore capable of washing away additional undesirable materials from the packing. In this second unit the oil collecting in the sump is permitted to remain as long as it can produce effective cleaning. W'hen it becomes contaminated to an undesirable degree it is dumped into the sump by pipe 32.

From unit No. 2 it is obvious that the packing travels successively through units Nos. 3 and 4 Where it is similarly treated by heated oil and air. In these later units the oil, as it accumulates and becomes quite contaminated is periodic ally siphoned in series through the plant until it reaches the bottom of unit like lead to a hot air manifold structure 53 provided with a heater 54 and a propelling device or fan 55 driven by a motor 56. In this way the air is heated to the proper degree so that it may function in the several units as hereinbefore described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for reclaiming journal box packing, comprising a casing structure having an inlet end and an outlet end, conveyor means for supporting thereon in matform -journal box packing and for conveying the same through said casing structure 1n a gen-1 erally horizontal path from the inlet end thereof to said outlet end, elevator means arranged in said casing structure above sai conveyor means for removing the packing from said conveyor means, `elevating it in said casing structure, and then effecting its return to said conveyor means, and means for subjecting said packing, while it is being elevated, to the cleansing effect of oil.

2. Apparatus for reclaiming journal box packing, comprising a casing structure having an inlet end and an outlet end, conveyor means for supporting thereon in mat form journal b'ox packing and for conveying the same through said casing structure in a generally horizontal path from the inlet end thereof to said outlet end, elevator means arranged in said casing structure above said conveyor means for removing the packing from said conveyor means, elevating it .in said casing structure, and then effecting its return to said conveyor means, means for subjecting said packing, while it is being elevated, to the cleansing effect of oil, and means for also subjecting said packing, while it is being elevated, to the effect of heated air.

3. Apparatus for reclaiming journal box packing, comprisinga casing structure having an inlet end and an outlet end, conveyor means for supporting thereon in mat form journal box packing and for conveying the same through said casing structure 1n a generally horizontal path from the inlet end thereof to said outlet end, means for producing a discharge of oil downwardly toward said conveyor means, and elevator means arranged in said casing above said conveyor means and adjacent said oil dischargingmeans for removing the packing from said conveyor means, elevating'it through said oil discharge, and then effecting its return to said conveyor means.

4. Apparatus for reclaiming journal box packing, comprising a casing structure having an inlet end and an outlet end, conveyor means for supporting thereon in mat form journal box packing and for conveying the same through said casing structure 1n a generally horizontal path from the inlet end thereof to said outlet end, means for producing a discharge of oil downwardly toward said conveyor means, elevator means arranged in said casing above said conveyor means and adjacent said oil discharging means for vremoving the packing from said conveyor means, elevating it. through said oil discharge, and then effecting its return to said conveyor means, and means for producing a heating effect in the space through which said packing is elevated.

5. Apparatus for reclaiming journal box packing, comprising a casing structure having an inlet end and an outlet end, conveyor means for supporting thereon in mat form journal box packing and for conveying the same through said casing structure in a generally horizontal path from the inlet end thereof to said outlet end, a plurality of el vating means arranged in said casing structure above and along said conveyor means and each adapted to remove the packing from said conveyor means, elevate it in said casing structure and then effect its return to said conveyor means, and means for subjecting said packing, each time While it is being elevated, 'to the cleansing' effects rof oil and heated air.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

EDVIN S. PEARCE. 

